A Little Gift
by TimothyBlackbird
Summary: A series of one-shots, each one telling a different part of the Shepard/Tali saga. Slightly AU, little to no changes to the overall plot. Chapter 2: Wounded It's been 2 years, and Tali was still broken up over her lover's untimely passing. How will she react when she meets him on freedom's progress, alive and kicking?
1. Chapter 1

** A little gift**

… As far as the crew's work cycle goes, it was evening on the SSV _Normandy_. Everyone who was involved in the ground actions were gathered by the sleeper pods, where I had built a miniature podium. Tali'Zorah, Kaiden Alenko, and Garrus were seated up by the front, and the others were seated and standing behind us, with me at the end of the hallway by the wall. The only one absent was Ashley…

Just as my thoughts started to get morbid, my attention was instantly drawn back to reality, as I realized that I had yet to speak to the crew. As I scanned the group, I thought of all the time that we'd spent together. Despite the context of the memories, they brought a smile to my face… Confusing Liara with my jokes, stifling my laughter as she stammered around her nervousness; all the impromptu sniping competitions with Garrus…

Then, my eyes fell on Tali, the young Quarian woman I'd gotten onto the crew at the beginning. I heard all the speculation which revolved around my love life, but surprisingly nobody was even close. As much time as I'd spent speaking with Liara or Ashley, none of that time even compared in my mind. Ever since I'd first seen her, I'd had a very strong attachment to the young engineer, and I did my best to get to know her as much as I could. Whenever I wasn't working, speaking with the crew, or her, I was sitting in my room, researching everything I could about Quarians. I was really stricken with her…

But, I don't think the feeling is mutual. Either way, tonight is going to be nerve-wrenchingly eventful.

Gathering my thoughts, I opened my mouth, and started talking.

"… I know what everybody is thinking; the past couple of days have been less than ideal. Losing Ashley, and the support of the Council, have both been major blows to us, and to the integrity of the mission. Now, with Ilos on the horizon, the mission truly feels like it's coming to a close."

I received a wave of nods, so I continued.

"… Even then, everything we've done up until here has been more than impressive. Working with you all has been an honour, and I really feel like we've shifted the views of the entire galaxy. Throughout our entire mission, I've bonded and learned so much about all of you, and I just wanted to say that no matter what happens, no matter how many of us don't make it, that I'm proud to call you all my friends, and even my family… " Taking a final breath, I set my eyes on Tali, and finished. "Be strong, fight hard, and die proud."

I put my arm up in a salute, and everyone gathered in front of me returned the gesture. Tali'Zorah was slower than the rest, and as my arm went down, the crew started to disperse. Eventually, everyone but she and I had gone back to their postings, with Kaiden going to a sleeper pod instead. Tali'Zorah was looking down at the ground, and she was playing with her hands again. _Why does she do that? I never really understood. Maybe she's intimidated by me? I'd be scared too, knowing what I've done… _

"… Hey Tali, you got something on your mind?"

Her hands stopped, and she lifted her head. Looking her straight in the eyes, I grinned a little, and she loosened up.

"… I – well, uh – I – I don't really know. It's just…"

Holding my hand up, take a step closer, and despite my mind objecting violently, I gestured past her, and said, "… wait. Would you like to speak a little more in my cabin? It's a hell of a lot more private than out here, where everybody sleeps."

Freezing in place, I felt my heart sink. _Oh shit, you fucked it up. Why would she ever accept that offer? Now she's probably going to run away, or think I'm a creepy pervert…_

***  
After his speech, he looked to me, and started speaking. "Be strong, fight hard, and die proud."

Feeling his attention, I blushed and my thoughts started racing. _Why is he looking at me? Everybody knows that he and Liara are together. Maybe I'm imagining it, or maybe I got a fever back on Virmire… _

All of a sudden, Kaiden stood up, and I got up as well. Taking a sideways glance, I saw that Garrus was saluting, so I joined in hesitantly. Looking back at Shepard, his eyes were still trained on me, but his body was stock still. Then, his hand dropped, and he placed them behind his back. Averting my eyes, I started thinking again. _No, I definitely think he's looking at me. Maybe I was wrong? Should I tell him? We may not get another chance to – _my thoughts were caught off by Shepard, who had taken on an unusual tone.

"… Hey Tali, you got something on your mind?"

My world was shaking, and I could barely put together a sentence.

"… I – well, uh – I – I don't really know. It's just…"

Just as I finally built up the courage to say something, he put his hand up, and my mind went blank. I looked up at him, and his hand was up. _Damn it! I knew that he didn't feel that way! _

"… Would you like to speak a little more in my cabin? It's a hell of a lot more private…"

Then, just like that, my mind was racing again. … _Wait; was that me, being asked to join Shepard, alone, IN HIS CABIN? Oh Keelah, I must be daydreaming again! _Shaking myself, I noticed that Shepard looked extremely nervous. Seeing him like this was comforting, and it also made me giggle.

"Uh, yes Shepard,_ I would enjoy that.._."

_'I would enjoy that'? What the hell has gotten into me? And laughing at him? He must think I'm some awful bitch who likes to taunt people!_

My mind was going faster than a Salarian on stims as we walked into his private quarters. Walking into his room, he turned to me, and he uneasily said "… Here, sit down at the table, which is across from where I want to sit, because it – well, um – _yeah._" Turning to himself, he grabbed his face, and muttered something to himself, before pulling the chair across from me away, and sitting down. Shifting in his place a bit, he looked at me, and let out a sigh. Wiping his face, he looked at me, and he gave a nervous smile. Taking that as my cue to talk, I stood up, and started pacing.

"Um, well Shepard, I just wanted to talk to you about, well, you know, about… about… _shit. _Shepard, do you hate me?"

He stood up immediately at my words, and he looked worried.

"WHAT? No, Tali, I could _never _hate you. Ever since I first met you, I've done nothing but try to prove the opposite! Even from the beginning, you were always kind, and selfless, and… well, everything I'm not."

Even though his words made my heart flutter, I couldn't get my previous thoughts off of my mind.

"… Oh. Well, it's just, you've always had to watch my back, and make accommodations for me, and when you were giving your speech you looked right at me when you told me not to die… like you didn't believe in me…"

Shepard shocked me then. Acting on emotions, he stepped right up to me, and put his hands on my shoulders. Speaking quickly, he stammered, "Tali, you could never burden me, that's just what I do, and I believe in you implicitly, it's just that I don't want you to die because, well, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you…" freezing in his tracks at what he just said, his eyes went wide, and his grip was tight. "Uh, Tali, I – I can explain, I mean, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, and uh -" My hand zipped up to his face, and I put my middle finger on his mouth. His grip loosened, and his entire body seemed to relax and shudder at my touch. His hands drifted down, and he looked down at the ground. Walking up to him, I let my finger slide down his chest, and I grabbed his hands. Now standing inches away from him, I turned my head, and I felt myself start to speak…

***  
Feeling her finger on my lips, I stopped dead in my tracks, and looked to the ground. _GODDAMIT! Great, that's just fucking great, Shepard! You took the ONLY good thing that's EVER made you truly happy, and you piss on it just like you always do…_ I was pulled from my self-loathing when I felt her hand leave my face… and float down my chest. As she passed my sternum, my heart rate skyrocketed, and it only got worse when she slid her hands into mine. Pulling her next to me, it was then that I realised how foolish I had been. Sensing my shift in attitude, she started speaking lowly.

"… _Shepard, are you alright?_"

Sighing at her words, I squeezed her hands, and spoke. "… no, I don't think so. It's just, with Ilos merely hours away, I realised how much you really meant to me… _Goddamit, I'm just so scared… I'm scared that I'll never be able to truly be happy. I'm scared that Saren will succeed, and all our efforts will be in vein… I'm scared that something will happen to you, and I'll never be able to see you again._" Feeling her wrap her arms around me, my eyes got hot, and I felt myself start to cry. Cry over Mindoir, and all the family and friends that were stolen from me. Cry about Akuze, and all the horrifying things I had seen. Cry about Virmire, and how I was forced to murder one of my closest friends…

My hands went around her, and her hands went from wrapping around my waist, to stroking my back and hair. Even as I broke down further, she held me close, and whispered in my ear. With each word she spoke, my heart opened more, and more tears came out. "_Shh, shh… There, there, Shepard, I'm here. I'm here, and I'm not leaving you. I'm coming back to you tomorrow. I'm never leaving your side, and I'll always be there for you..._"

After a short while, my tears wouldn't come anymore, and I felt renewed. Holding her close, I whispered in her ear, "… Hey, I have something for you. After all that you've given me, I felt like I needed to give you something in return…"

***  
I heard him speak, and his hands went down to my sides. I brought my hands down as well, and he took them. Pulling me over, he sat me in his chair. Dragging his hand up my arm, he rested them on my shoulders, and I heard him whisper into my earpiece.

"Hey, stay still. Just sit back, and relax… Don't turn around."

I felt slightly confused, but I complied nonetheless. Sitting back, I closed my eyes, and I listened intently, trying to find out what he was doing. Amongst other things, I heard some rustling, and him sitting down on his bed. Then, after about a minute of silence, one of the oddest noises started from behind me. Starting out relatively low, it changed its tone, and then quickly blended together in my mind. A single English word came to mind, and it stunned me. _Music…_

***  
Opening my personal storage unit, I pushed my portable sterilisation device to the side, and reached for the large black case which sat in the back corner. Pulling it out, I set it down on my bed, and released the snaps on its side. Opening it, I pulled out the large instrument which sat inside, and went for the papers which I had left underneath it. Reading over the papers one last time, I sat on my bed, and I readied my instrument. Gripping the bow with a loose wrist, I rested it on the strings and I started my song. Almost instantly, my eyes closed, and instincts took over. Getting lost in the strange melodies of my own composure, my mind floated back to my off time on Mindoir, when my parents and I would play music together, always laughing. Now, when I did this, joy went through my mind, and my thoughts were free to flow once more. Soon after, my thoughts floated off to Tali, who had stolen the fractured shards of my heart, and left only peace in its place. Warmth flowed through my body, and I heard her voice behind my music.

"… Shepard…"

A few seconds later, my hands slowed, and my song came to a close. A truly blissful smile rose across my features, and I opened my eyes. Looking up from my instrument, I was mildly surprised to find Tali, right in front of me, sitting perplexed.

***  
As I realised there was music, I turned around, expecting to find him lying about in some skimpy human dressing. When I realised what I was seeing however, I was instantly stupefied, as I banished such shamefully scornful thoughts out of my head forever. Sitting before me, head hunched, was Shepard, _actually playing _the music which I was hearing. His body was partially obscured by the bulk of the instrument, and what could be seen were only his head, his arms, and some of his shoulders. His right hand was moving a stick with threads back and fourth, and his left hand was sliding and slapping on a curved board with his fingers. All in all, every aspect of the image before me was beautiful.

I pulled the chair up closer, and I lost myself in the music. My mind was swept away, as I recalled pleasant memories of my mother, and the occasional proud moment with my father. Then, Shepard was holding me, and I was wearing my people's traditional garb. We were standing on a cliff, overlooking the ocean, and the sun was setting into the distance. We turned to each other, and embraced lovingly.

Pulling out of my imaginings, I realised why this meant so much to me… it was completely new to me, but it sounded like something a Quarian would compose. Seeing Shepard playing it without anything to read I also realised something else…

That he had written it himself.

Feeling tremendous joy, my hand went to my mouthpiece, and I started to cry. Through my tears, I could only manage a single word…

"… Shepard…"

Soon after that, his song ended, and one of the most beautiful smiles I had ever seen graced his features. Then he looked up at me, and our eyes met. Slowly, he pushed his instrument to the side, and without breaking eye contact, he started talking.

"… You've done so much for me… and, after that talk you and I had about you being homesick, I couldn't rest. Even though you seemingly got past that, I realised that there was more to your words that simply wishing to be with your loved ones again. So, ever since then, I tried my hardest to bring a little bit of 'home' to you…"

With a sob, my voice sang back with utter joy; "Oh, Shepard… What you did for me was absolutely beautiful… I've never heard anything so amazing in my entire life."

I got up from my chair, and he stood as well. When he stood, we were merely inches away, and I felt his hands grab mine.

"Tali… that's not all I wanted you to hear…"

Looking down, I gripped his hands tightly, and I looked back to him expectantly. He shifted on his feet a little, and he almost whispered. "Tali… I – you… I have feelings for you, more than just a friend. I didn't know if you felt the same, but I just needed for you to hear that… but, I would understand you having certain… _reservations… _about getting involved."

I was smiling uncontrollably as I slid up to him, and our bodies touched. "… Shepard… being with you would make me the happiest woman in the galaxy..." then, my thoughts went back to their usual arguments, and I felt my heart tear as I spoke. "… but, I could never do that to you… you deserve to… _be happy with someone_… and I can't do that. As much as I want to, there's just so much -" Shepard flinched at my words, and he looked down to the side. "… I know, Tali. I… I looked into it. You'll get sick or worse and… well, as much as I care about you, I don't want to rush you, or put you in harm's way… but what if you could? Would you?"

My heart instantly fluttered, and I blushed profusely. "Well, I – uh, well I suppose there are some, uh, precautions that we could take – but I doubt that we'd ever be able to – _Keelah, it's hot in here_... simply put? Yes… I would like that."

Shepard's face lit up once more, and he excitedly jumped backwards, carrying me with him. Squealing in surprise and delight, we laughed together as we bounced lightly on Shepard's bed, and settled in. Lying on top of him, I barely suppressed a shocked gasp as I exclaimed "Shepard! What are – what are you doing?"

My face broke out into a joyous grin as he beamed back at me, smoothly stating "… getting a good night's sleep with the woman of my dreams."

… _And a good night it was._


	2. Chapter 2

Wounded

"… Well, Shepard, are there any more questions?"

_Miranda Lawson_… Biogenetic engineer and project head of the _Lazarus_ Division. A brilliant woman, they say…

- _A stupid, stuck – up – know – It – all – Cerberus – Lackey – bitch who doesn't know when to shut up, I say. _What the hell did I do to deserve this shit?

- Oh yeah,_ I DIED._

… Wait. I was dead for two years? Why aren't I hungrier right now – Oh? Oh shit, here it comes… Oh god… I think I'm gunna… I'm Gunna…

"- HOLY FUCK, I'M HUNGRY!"

Jacob and Miranda both threw me inquisitive glances. After a moment, Jacob animatedly shook his head, and exclaimed "… What? Shepard, is something wrong with you or something? I mean, you just saw like, 80, 000 corpses, and all you have to say is _that_? "

Miranda Facepalmed, and both me and Jacob turned our attentions to her, who just looked at us like we were crazy. Jacob looked dumbfounded for a second, and I just broke out into a snicker.

Across the shuttle, Miranda's head was as red as a cherry tomato, and the seam of her glove actually cut her head open. After a moment of looking shocked, she finally noticed her slip – up, and held her head, muttering embarrassedly and cringing at my and Jacob's punishing laughter.

***  
_  
Meanwhile, across the Galaxy…_

Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya was boarding a medium – sized shuttle, heading on a Search – and – Rescue mission on a small human colony called "Freedom's Progress".

- Currently, she was being hit on for the umpteenth time by the single most loathsome piece of Quarian to ever exist: Prazza.

***

"… How many times must I tell you, you bosh'tet, I DO NOT need a boyfriend and even if I did, it would MOST DEFINITELY not be YOU. Now get out of my face, before I let Chiktikka reprogram your waste management system to vent TO YOUR FACE!"

Grunting roughly, I shoved my way past Prazza, and slid into the bench seat. Putting my hands on my visor, I sighed loudly, and rested my elbows on my knees. Feeling the familiar throbbing of a headache come on, I checked my suit systems, and administered a dose of medicine.

After a few minutes of talking, orders, and final engineering checks, the shuttle finally took off, leaving the ocean of starships behind. Finally having a minute to myself, I stalked off into a corner, and sat down. Satisfied that I was relatively unnoticed, I opened up my Omni tool, scrolled through my files list and settled on the same one I always did; the 'Good/Old days.'

I had no idea in the slightest why he asked me to name the file this, and still don't. However, I do know one thing: I would NEVER change anything about it; even if SHEPARD HIMSELF told me IN THE FLESH that I should.

Opening the file, I looked at the hundreds of items within it; vid sections of happy moments together, Shepard playing music, Shepard laughing at me play music (I will admit; that is ONE of two things that is better about the human hand…) and messages we had written each other during our… _short_… time together.

One thing out of all of those caught my eye, however; it was a really old file, one that hadn't been touched in over a year. Opening it up, I saw the strange, dim glow of the old _Normandy's _captains quarters, and the even stranger sound of ruffling, shuffling, sliding and bumping that came from directly behind me – _Oh Keelah, no… not again, please not again…_

A single note flew over my speakers, and my tears instantly started pouring.

***

"… Shepard? Shepard, are you alright? SHEPARD!"

Snapping out of my reverie, I pulled out my predator pistol, and jumped out of the shuttle. Hitting the ground, I quietly rolled out, still completely silent thanks to my hard-boiled training experience.

Now on my feet, I checked left, and swung right, scanning my surroundings like a preying hawk after a long drought. Satisfied that the coast was clear, I put on my death mask, ramped up the audio output, and held my hand up, signaling for us to pause. Hearing their footsteps halt, I smirked to myself, and said coldly "I want _complete _radio/comms silence, copy? I want signs and gestures only, soldiers."

Not even waiting for a response, I pushed on, and activated my Omni tool's virtual display unit within my helmet. Turning off my vocaliser, I started talking to myself, using my voice to activate my Omni tool.

_Search all local frequencies… Mark data encryption… plant feelers… mine data… _

Then, I run into a bit of a conundrum.

_Check frequency level… Confirm level 227.8?_

An affirmative came through, and my lungs dropped into my stomach. Sighing to myself in disbelief, I mused "227.8… That's sub – level encryption, paired with a semi-randomizing self-replicator algorithm… There's only one person I can think of in the whole universe capable of something like that of this level…"

_Access code: Rayya. _

"… Incorrect encryption key... please try again."

_Access code: Shepard_

"Access Granted. Decrypting…"

My lungs migrated from my stomach all the way into my ears, and I had to stop for a moment. Leaning against the wall, I saw Jacob and Miranda run to my side, and start to check my health. Holding my hand up, they relented as I hit a button on my helmet, and said "No radios, confirm? Listen to me… while we were fighting, I managed to scour the colony's systems for information revolving around the mechs that are attacking… They were reprogrammed by a survivor, who seems to have cooped himself up in a server room, of sorts. Also, I have other news… there's another team down here with us."

Miranda looked shocked, and mildly pissed off. Jacob looked at me, impassively.

"… Apparently, a Quarian task group was rallied to escort another Quarian to safety, and -"

Miranda slapped her hands against her legs, and swore. Turning off for a second, she wheeled back on me, and said "… Shepard, this may be problematic. How do you suggest we take them out?"

Jacob's eyes went wide, and he looked at me, then her then me. Looking at him, he raised his arms defensively, and said "I want no part in this, Commander. I'll be at the shuttle, if you need me."

Miranda looked at the now retreating Jacob, and me, and Jacob again. She was dumbfounded, and looked back to me, confused and irritated.

"Commander Shepard, what is the meaning of this? I thought you knew how to keep your insubordinates in line -"

I cut her off, my silent fury only now fully dawning on Miranda. Closing her mouth, she stiffened at the sound of my threatening voice.

"_… So did I. Miranda, report back to the shuttle AT ONCE. And while you're at it; why don't you get Jacob there to explain to you why I'm proceeding from here alone. You are dismissed, Miss Lawson._"

Turning, I stalked off, activating my cloaking system and thought on what the hell she was on about.

Approaching a hut, I noticed that the frequency was rising at an alarming level, so I snuck around to the side, and peered in through the window. Seeing the group, one of them stood out from the others. Seemingly female, she wore an intricate, swirling pattern on her _realk_, and a distinctive purple color-scheme that was uncommon for most Quarians…

Her stride was proud, determined, but off; it was _not _how she really walked. It seemed that it was a front, a common one for people who are put into situations of command before they are ready. I could tell by the way she moved her shoulders; they were not used to the amount they were being tensed, and were twitching ever-so-subtly. Ramping up my audio receptors, I listened in to the conversation on the other end, and smirked as I finally heard the one thing I had wanted to hear since my awakening – Tali, speaking in her native tongue.

***

_"… Prazza, you are a damned fool. Just because their radios are silent does NOT mean that I can't hack them. I broke through ages ago, but they haven't been saying anything. It's almost as if they are aware of us, Prazza…"_

_"Keh! Leave it to you to botch the mission, Tali. For all YOU know, they could be watching us right now!"_

_"Prazza, I sincerely promise you that there is not a single being in the entire galaxy that could sneak up on us… not anymore…"_

The group in the prefab fell silent, and my heart felt like it was shattered. In all of my time spent thinking of her, I managed to forget the one thing that really mattered… That I was dead to her for two years, and she thought I was gone for good. With that, I realized that I had to do something, and fast. Opening up my Omni-tool, I sent an unencrypted message to Tali's secret account, and waited.

***

I was about to lose it from the silence, when all of a sudden, my Omni-tool fluttered in my ear, and my heart stopped. My thoughts were running rampant, and I was nearly ready to explode but when I read the message, I stopped dead in my tracks.

_… You're being followed. You need to double back, and do another scan of the terrain. Go alone; you'll move faster that way, and minimize the risk of friendly fatalities. If they've evaded you this long, then they must be the best in the entire galaxy, second-to-none._

"I'm going to double back; we're being followed. Prazza, you need to keep everyone in line while I go scout our flank. This is serious; we could very well be facing death if we don't work together. I'll be back in 30 minutes, tops. If I'm not, go on ahead without me. I'll likely be dead in that case."

Turning, I pulled out my pistol, and stalked out of the room.

***

After four minutes, I watched from my new position as she looked all around her, doing everything I would, looking almost everywhere I would… _Except for where I am, of course._

As if on cue, she looked where I was, and I stopped moving. After a few seconds of pause, she turned slowly, and continued to scan…

I sent her a message, and moved into my final position, letting everything else take care of itself.

***

I was screaming to myself as I prayed for my life, hoping desperately that the flash I saw was not the rifle scope I thought it was, and that my fate wasn't sealed yet. Just as I let out a breath of relief, it was stolen from me as my private channel lit up again.

_You were right about me, you know. I am the best._

_- And if I for even a millisecond wanted you to die, it would already be done. _

_However, that is not the case… You know where I am. I know where you are. I know who you are… but you don't know who I am. _

_… Come find out… and please, don't kill me._

"'_Don't kill me?' Why would they say something like that? I won't kill them… but they are certainly NOT going to get away with this lightly. _"

Stepping into the prefab, I sent a message to the squad, telling them that I was going to need another thirty minutes, and turned… only to find a human male sitting in a chair, much like I do. Crossing my arms, I spoke harshly "I'm here. But you made one mistake… you underestimated me!"

I ran up to the figure and went to rip him out of the chair… but my arms went right through him. Wobbling off-balance, I was about to fall, when a strong hand gently grabbed mine, and pulled me back. Wheeling around, I was about to hit him across the jaw when I stopped mid swing. Slowly dropping my arms until one was just held over my mouth, I quietly observed the familiar silhouette before me.

His stance was strong; he was tall, well-built and his every move screamed authority. His head was pointed in my direction, slightly down so it was pointed at my stomach, and I finally realized that he was looking at the ground… _like he was… ashamed of something? _

Helplessly, I stammered "Who – _who are you?_"

He looked away, and walked over to the window. Turning around, he slumped against the wall, and slid so he was now sitting limply. His attention was focused anywhere but on me, yet he seemed only to see in my direction, his body reacting to my every move.

***

_My heart is bleeding profusely, I'm sure of it. She looks so… confused, almost hurt. How could I do this to her? Maybe I was better off dead…_ _NO! That's stupid, Shepard. If I didn't die, then she along with all the others would have, and I would NOT be able to face anyone knowing that… This wasn't fair; she needs to know, even if she's already moved on…_

Sighing to myself, I turned away, and reached for the sides of my helmet. Taking it off, I let my now medium length hair fall out of its place, and I turned slightly to her. Putting my eyes on her, I said weakly in Khellish "_Tali… I'm so sorry…_"

My heart stopped as his familiar jet black hair sat cropped around his shoulders, lightly framing his chiseled, slender features. His eyes were filled with emotion – way too much to possibly be just one – and his face was adorned with orange, symmetrical scars.

I was at a complete loss for words. This was, in every sense, Shepard – from his speaking Khellish, to his facial expressions, to his piercing eyes; grey orbs that now shone with the faintest of red glows.

Finally pulling out of my trance, I let out another loud sob, and my other hand shot up to my mouthpiece, instinctively. His face softened, getting a look of determined sadness, and he stood slowly. Now up on his feet, his previously forlorn ways were now back to their usual strength, and he faced me completely.

Walking up to him slowly, his arms returned to their usual position behind his back and my steps faltered for a second. My hands went away from my face, and were now moving towards his. Within seconds, my hand was a fraction away from his face. Almost willing it not to be true, I extended my hand and finally touched his face. The moment I made contact, every single wall I had made around my feelings broke, and I broke down. Crying intensely, I reached around his neck, and my legs gave out. Still crying, I wailed to him as he sunk down with me, and held on to me as I cried out.

"SHEPARD! It can't be you… You died, Shepard! Oh Keelah, you're back! I missed you, Shepard! Oh Keelah, I missed you! You never told me anything! You just disappeared, Shepard! Why didn't you tell me anything?"

Letting out a sigh, Shepard's tears fell with mine, and he gripped me tightly, saying "… Tali, I'm so sorry I left you like that. I'm sorry that I had to leave you not knowing, but I had no choice… I was dead, Tali… I woke up 2 days ago."

She sobbed hard, and held on loosely to me. After a minute of silence, she pushed on my shoulders, and stood up. Looking at me, once more guarded, she said "… prove you're actually Shepard. If you aren't him…"

Looking at her, I thought for a short moment, and said "… I was trapped in a nightmare, Tali. It was an eternal dance, and 'Raindrops on Rannoch' was playing… you were right in front of me, but then you walked away… I…"

She grabbed my arms, and threw her arms around my waist. Holding me tightly, she said "Oh Shepard… I missed you so much. It hurt so bad… but you're here now, aren't you? You're here, and you're holding me… but how?"

I looked at her, and I tensed up. Still holding her, I said "Tali… you aren't going to like this any more than I am… but Cerberus rebuilt me."

She froze, and she whispered "Cer-Cerberus? Shepard, you aren't… _you aren't working for them… Are you?"_

I looked down at her, and held her by the shoulders lightly. Looking her right in the eyes, I said "Tali… I promise you with everything I am I am not working for Cerberus. However, there are human colonies disappearing, and it sounds like Cerberus is the only group doing anything. I despise them, with my very soul… but if I don't do this, no one will. Do you understand?"

Looking at me with deep eyes, I could see her flicking her gaze from eye to eye, and after a moment, she said "… I trust you, Shepard. I will always trust you, and if you think this is how it has to be, then so be it."

Holding on to her for a couple more minutes, I heard Prazza over Tali's comms.

"_Tali'Zorah, report. Tali'Zorah, please give your status, over._"

Tali looked at me, and I said "… I'm going to provide overwatch. Tali, you need to get back to Prazza, and you need to extract your friend. After you're done, break off again, and meet me so we can continue this. Does that sound ok?"

She nodded, and held her hand to her head, saying "_Prazza, there are no enemy contacts. I'm going to come back to you now, and then we can move on Veetor. _Do you understand?"

Prazza scoffed, and said "_Fine. Good work, Tali; I didn't think you had it in you; Prazza out._"

Putting her hand down, she looked at me hard for a long moment, and left the building. After a minute, I turned on my communicator, hacked onto Jacob's Omni tool, and sent him a message, saying '_Shepard to flock; grab L.R.A.'s and meet by the sunset's bird nest. We will play duck hunt and air hockey. Onay eplyray.'_

Within minutes, Miranda and Jacob were in a tall building to the west, and were setting up mantis sniper rifles. When they arrived there, they found a datapad by the window, and Jacob read it. Chuckling to himself, he looked to Miranda, and read it.

"Dear guys; Sorry to bail on you, but when I got here, I saw not one, but TWO giant death-robots spinning up, and I had no choice but to head off the Quarians before they got hurt. Stay here, and provide Long range support to all joints you can see on the robots. And Miranda?

_If you manage to hit or even scare a SINGLE Quarian, I swear to god I will skin you alive, and make you eat it. We clear?_

_With mild, platonic affection,_

_Shepard._

_P.S. the only one I give two shits about is you, Jacob. Miranda, be more like him. I might even hang out with you, if you weren't Cerberus. No offense. To you, that is. Miranda, _

_Please don't fuck up._"

Jacob let out a chuckle, and Miranda was fuming for a solid minute before she managed to settle down and take up position a little ways away from Jacob. Then, like magic, Shepard and the Quarians could be seen sneaking up to the front door to the warehouse which held Veetor.

***

At the moment, Shepard, Tali and Prazza were leading the group forward towards the warehouse. Prazza was looking disheveled, and was incredibly twitchy at the thought of working with a supposed Cerberus soldier. However, seeing Shepard again had a major impact on Tali's confidence levels, and she managed to pacify Prazza long enough to re-establish a working command of her squad.

Alas, Prazza's patience had all but run out, and he picked right before the assault to finally snap and enter tantrum mode.

"… This… this isn't… GOD DAMN IT, THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"

Tali's shoulders tensed, and she and Shepard both looked back to the disgruntled grunt.

"That… that… _Vile, filthy human is a Cerberus operative, _and needs to DIE!"

Tali's fists clenched and she shook with rage. Walking up to him, she drew her fist back, and punched him right in the throat; denting his armor and making him choke from the force. Teething with rage, she started "_Prazza, how DARE you question my authority?_ What you say or think does _not _take precedence over what _I _say or think, and for your information, if it weren't for this _person_, every single one of us would already be DEAD!"

Over the course of the rant, Prazza had managed to recover from Tali's crushing blow, and was now wilting under her relentless verbal assault. Seeing this, Tali took a slightly more 'aggressively collected' approach, hoping to make him and the rest of the squad comply without question.

"… I have absolutely HAD IT with your lecherous advances, obnoxious voice and disgusting lack of honour. Seeing as you are more of a liability than an asset at this point, I deem it necessary to remove you from the rest of the mission, and I am ordering you back to the ship. Now go, before I change my mind about letting you go without my shotgun rammed thoroughly up your ass!"

Whimpering in fear, Prazza turned tail, and ran away as fast as he could, hoping to reach the shuttle and hide before Tali had the chance to come after him.

With Prazza gone, Tali managed to relax a lot more than before. Now turning her attention to her squad, she said "Squad, listen up; According to our friend here, there are at least three priority-one targets beyond this door, and little to no cover to reach it. However, our new colleague just so happens to be one of the greatest tacticians in the galaxy, and has agreed to join efforts with us in achieving a mutual goal; preserving the life of the person behind this door. Now, if you'd please turn your attention his way, we can start…"

The entire squad looked his way, and Shepard stepped forwards. Gesturing downwards with his hands, Shepard squatted down, and the rest followed him. Then, he spoke in Khellish, and everyone around him listened, completely dumbfounded at his fluent speech.

"Okay, soldiers, listen up: I know how you feel about Cerberus, and I completely understand you feeling uncomfortable around me. However, I and your commanding officer Ms. Zorah here can personally assure you that I am _nothing_ like the aliens you've come to loathe so thoroughly. With her help, I've managed to devise a feasible plan, but it will take extreme coordination, excellent communication, and complete, unwavering trust in one another. Can I ask for your trust until our friend is safe?"

Each and every squad member nodded in agreement, and Tali stared at Shepard, completely mystified at how very similar, but very different he was.

"Good. Now, here's the plan…"

***

The plan was simple: Shepard, a Quarian scout and two other cloaked soldiers were to enter the facility, and flank to the back of the mechs while Tali and the others waited for the signal, which would apparently be given by the mechs themselves. They were also told to stick to the sides as much as possible, and spread out as much as they could.

Eventually, Shepard and the rest of his soldiers got into their positions, and he activated a comm. link to Jacob. Hearing their cue, they immediately opened fire on the mechs, and they turned towards the Cerberus operatives. With a whine, they yelled "Alert: enemy hostiles in general vicinity." And then, the fight started.

Shepard and his squad wasted no time in using coordinated overloads on both mechs, disabling both of their shields before they could find them. Then, as they opened fire and the mechs turned to them, the entirety of Tali's squad used overload and grenades on the mechs. The grenades broke their armor and nearly killed the mechs outright.

After that, the Cerberus snipers on the perch (which were completely forgotten by the mechs) shot a single round into both of the mechs' necks, killing them where they stood.

… And just like that, it was over. Taking a moment to see that there were no casualties, the Quarians all turned to the tactical genius behind their plan, and were all silently thankful to have him on their team. In moments, each of the Quarians was formed up on Tali and Shepard, all praising him for his efforts to aid the Quarians in their mission. Shepard, as a sign of humility, had taken of his helmet, revealing his identity. Giving them all a salute, he then stepped back, letting Tali give her next orders.

Tali decided that, since the immediate danger was now finished, that the squad were to head back to the shuttle, and were to await her and Veetor's return, so that they may return to the fleet in good time. With a newfound respect for the young woman, they all gave a Quarian salute, and headed away from the pair.

Minutes later, they had gotten Veetor stabilized again, and were now talking in private. Tali was taking the lead on the conversation, at least for now, making sure to ask all of the questions.

"… So, you're really back now, huh? This isn't one of my dreams again?"

"Yes, Tali, I'm really back now… back from the dead, to fight and kill once more."

"Shepard, I… you don't – Oh Keelah, Shepard, you don't know how hard it's been with you gone!"

Tali started crying again, and Shepard hunched his shoulders. Seeing her cry like that was the second most horrifying thing he could ever imagine… the most being her dead body, contorted and bloodied by some horrifying monster.

"I…. I just, I love you _so, so much, _Shepard; it actually hurts, but…"

She took a deep, shaky breath and continued, making Shepard mad with fear.

"I… you… do you… what… _what are we, Shepard?_ Do you still… you know… _love_… me?"

Shepard stepped forward, and reached for Tali's hands, to which she desperately obliged. Pulling her gently towards him, he pulled her right hand and placed it over his chest, doing the same with his hand on hers. Looking down at her intensely, he lightly caressed her helmet, and said "Tali… I could go a thousand years without you and my feelings would remain the same. I love you, Tali. And there's not a thing in any universe that could change that. I know you're hurt, and wounded, but I want you to know, that… that no matter what, my heart will _always _belong to you, Miss Zorah..."

Inside her helmet, Tali couldn't help but cry at his affectionate words. He was so final, so sure, that when he spoke she couldn't help but believe him. Overjoyed at his loving confession, she almost completely forgot her assignment to Haestrom. Giving him a big hug, she clung on to him, and started talking.

"Shepard… thank you… in less than two hours, you've literally completed me. Your love is my love, as it is with my life. I trust you completely, Shepard: I know that no matter what anyone says, that I will _always _have you."

Taking a deep breath, she clung onto him for another minute, until she got the nerve to ask "Shepard? Do you think that I could join you after my next mission? I don't want to leave your side, not ever, but I promised my father I would do this…"

Shepard understood her. Even in the short years that they were with him, Shepard had never, not ONCE, let down his father or go back on his word to him. Grabbing Tali by the shoulders, he gently pulled away from her, holding her in front of him, and said "Tali, I would _love _to have you back with me again. And don't worry; I completely understand your need to do this for him. You made a promise, and those should _never _be taken lightly. Go to him, Tali. Finish your mission soon, though… you're everything to me, and I… I need you with me as soon as possible."

***

Finished with their talk, they both parted ways, and headed back to their shuttles. Feeling newly invigorated strength, they both held their heads high; ready for anything the universe threw at them…

_Because no matter how bad things got, there was no denying that as long as they had each other, it was totally worth it. _


End file.
